Faith briefs

Ferguson

Eternity Church of Salisbury will host guest speaker, pro wrestler George South, 10 a.m. Sunday.

He will be sharing stories about his life, both personal and professional, and how he and other pros have wrestled in and out of the ring.

South will also sign autographs, answer questions, and make himself available for photographs. The public is invited to attend.

More information about South is available at www.GeorgeSouth.com.

Visit www.eternity-church.com for information and church location.

Solid Rock

Solid Rock Church of God, 1004 Locke St., Salisbury, will be celebrating Youth Sunday on Jan. 31 at 11 a.m.

The guest preacher will be the Rev. Harvey "Chip" Rice, executive pastor of Maranatha Fellowship Ministries, High Point. The Rev. Samuel A. Washington is the host pastor and Deacon James D. Streater Jr. is the youth director.

First Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury welcomes Dr. Robert Lewis to the pulpit this Sunday at 11 a.m., in the sanctuary.

Lewis, who is pastor emeritus, served the church for 24 years as head of staff. Sunday morning will be the first time he has preached at First Presbyterian in seven years.

This is a fifth Sunday, so there is no 8:30 or 8:50 a.m. worship, but there will be a Wholeness and Healing Service in the sanctuary at 9 a.m.

At noon, there will be a fellowship luncheon in Lewis Hall. All are invited to bring meats, vegetables, breads, and salads for the lunch. The public is welcome.

First UMC

First United Methodist Church of Salisbury, has been recognized by United Methodist Communications (UMCom) as an official "Welcoming Congregation."

"Welcoming Congregations" are a select group of United Methodist congregations nationwide that meets criteria including embracing newcomers and providing opportunities in discipleship. The recognition program is part of a larger effort launched in late 2000 by UMCom, the denomination's communications agency, to use modern technology and television.

Bobbie Melton, leader of the Evangelism Team, accepted the Welcoming Congregation plaque on behalf of the church during worship on Jan. 17.

For the past 8 years, "Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors" has been the theme of the denomination supported series of national cable TV advertising, supplemented by regional and local church participation. The new campaign, "Rethink Church," seeks to capitalize on the previous campaign, targeting 18-34 year-olds and inviting churches to think of the motto as a verb, not just an adjective as in: "Together we canÉOpen hearts, Open minds and Open doors."

First United Methodist Church is located at 217 S. Church St.

Guests are welcome to participate in Connecting 101, a class offered Sundays, Jan. 31 through Feb. 28 in Room 106. The class provides an introduction to Methodist history and theology, the ministries of the church, and helps the individual discern where they might connect to a small group ministry.

More information is available at www.fumcsalisbury. org or by calling 704-636-3121.

Bible study

Trading Ford Baptist Church will conduct an eight-week Bible study based on the Beatitudes entitled "Life's Healing Choices" by Rick Warren.

The study will begin on Sunday, Jan. 31, and individuals can choose to attend a small group session at a host home in the community or at the church on Sunday or Wednesday evening.

For additional information contact the church office, 704-633-5986.

South China Grove

CHINA GROVE — South China Grove Church of God will have an altered schedule Jan. 31 due to flooding problems and weather issues, with only one service taking place at 1 p.m.

The afternoon service will be a special healing service, with communion and prayer for the sick. This is in conjunction with a Conference on Healing which has been in progress during January. Visitors are welcome to attend.

The church is located at 163 Third Ave. in China Grove. For more information, call the pastor, the Rev. Joyce Miles, at 704-467-4555.

Cowboy Church

St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Salisbury will host the monthly ministry Cowboy Church this Sunday at 3 p.m. Musical guests will include Grand Ole Opry star George Hamilton IV and DC and The Chosen Few.

Those attending are invited to wear cowboy attire or come as you are.

For more information, call the church office,704-279-5054.

NC Lutheran CORE

Lutherans from across North Carolina are invited to gather at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Salisbury, on Monday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. for worship and to hear about progress being made to form a new Lutheran church body, a movement due to concerns that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has moved away from its statements of faith and the traditional Lutheran teaching as documented in its constitution. homosexual relationships.

A day earlier, Jan. 31, St. John's Lutheran Church of Statesville will host a meeting at 4 p.m. intended to be more convenient to those Lutherans in the western area of North Carolina. No worship service will be conducted.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church is located at 205 St. Paul's Church Road. Additional information and directions to the Salisbury worship service and meeting are available at www.splcweb.org or by calling St. Paul's Lutheran Church at 704-633-0922.

St. John's Lutheran Church, Statesville is located at 740 N. Center St. For directions or more information concerning the Statesville meeting, contact Dr. John Karriker at jkarriker@gardner-webb.edu.

Church Women United

The Salisbury Rowan Unit of Church Women United in NC invites the public to attend its annual meeting on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 1570 N. Long St. Ext., East Spencer.

The guest speaker will be Marilyn Martin, Charlotte region representative of Society of St. Andrew, a 30-year-old organization, whose motto is: "Gleaning America's Fields, Feeding America's Hungry."

There will also be installation of board members and church representatives, fellowship with other denominations, the presentation of a Valiant Woman award, 2010 budget adoption and light refreshments.

Correll publishes bookDr. Jim Correll, formerly of Salisbury, has just published his fifth book.

"Faith in the Balance" is an exposition of the 10 trials of Christian faith found in the Epistle of James in the New Testament of the Bible.

Correll, a 1966 graduate of West Rowan High School, was a sports reporter for the Post before entering the U.S. Army. He retired as a Special Forces lieutenant colonel in 1987, having commanded the U.S. Army Parachute Team (Golden Knights) for three years. Among his many awards were the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

He has served as pastor of three churches in Alabama and Georgia, and now serves as pastor of Register Baptist Church, Register, Ga.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Columbus College and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Luther Rice Seminary.

The 10 tests of faith explored in the book include trials, temptations, treatment, tangibles, tongue, truth, troublemakers, time, temporals, and trust.

The book is available from the author at jhcorrell2@aol.com.

Wallace to speak

CHINA GROVE — On Sunday, Jan. 31, Danny Wallace will be at South China Grove Baptist Church. He will bring praise in music at the 11 a.m. service.

During the 6 p.m. service, he will provide the music and a message entitled, "The Heart of a Father" directed toward understanding the true heart of the heavenly father as well as understanding how to develop strong family bonds with true father leadership within the family.

The public is invited to both services. There is no charge, but an offering will be taken.

Wallace is a recording artist and author of "MASKquerade," having traveled all over the United States with his life story. "No Harm Done," his testimony, is available free of charge at www.dannywallace.org.

South China Grove Baptist Church is located at 501 Haney St. (one block off West Thom Street) in China Grove. The Rev. Shane Utley is pastor, and the Rev. Ryan Bennett is youth pastor.

For more information, go to www.scgbc.com.

Relief for Haiti benefitGethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in conjunction with of the General Baptist State Convention Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention will sponsor a benefit program for Haiti on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. entitled "A Dream Lives."

The speaker for the program is the Rev. Mazie Butler Ferguson. She holds a law degree and received her theological training from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of the Southeast and Shaw University Divinity School.

A native of Sumter, S.C., Ferguson worked for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the voting rights of Act of 1965 with The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). As a college student, Ferguson demonstrated, and taught nonviolent resistance to segregation and Jim Crow.

Before moving to North Carolina in 1989, she served as Housing Committee chair of the South Carolina Conference of Branches of the NAACP, under the leadership of Rev. Nelson Rivers. Like her great aunt, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, Ferguson was challenged to be obedient to the call of God at a time when female pastoral leadership had not been received in the Missionary Baptist Church. Yet, she is the former senior pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Siler City, past president of the Greensboro's pulpit Forum interdenominational ministerial alliance, recent past Religious Affairs chair of the North Carolina NAACP Conference of Branches, and chair of the Constitution Committee of the North Carolina General Baptist State Convention.

Music for the Feb. 6 program will be provided by a community choir under the direction of Thelma C. Banks, and Keith Holland, minister.

Dr. Clary L. Phelps is pastor of Gethsemane.